TERRY MOSHER
TOP OF THE TOWN – The majority of Seattle Mariners’ fans believe the Mariners are going to beat Toronto in their upcoming 3-game playoff series starting tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 7) or want them to win. That’s the way it is with our games, whether it’s soccer, basketball, baseball, football or Tiddywinks (you have to be a certain old age to remember this game). I covered the Mariners for the local daily for almost 30 years (including being MLB’s official scorer at their games) and hope the M’s win. But I’m a realist, too. So let’s look at it from a statistical standpoint. First of all, to amplify a point I made to former Bainbridge star athlete Clay Moyle about batting averages being down this year to .243, the lowest is has been since 1968 when it was.237. The year 1968 was the season when St. Louis’ Bob Gibson scared the wits (and bats) out of hitters. He completed 28 of 34 starts and pitched 11 shutouts while striking out 268. He finished with an ERA of 1.12, the lowest in modern baseball history. To counter Gibson, MLB lowered the mound in 1969 to give hitters a better chance. But now pitchers have again dominated the game.There were only 10 .300 hitters this year. Aaron Judge, who hit an American League record 62 home runs, hit .311 but was surpassed by Minnesota’s Luis Arraez who hit .318 to take the Al batting title. St. Louis’ Paul Goldschmidt’s 317 let the National League. Toronto led all of baseball with a .264 batting average and total hits with 1464. The Mariners were tied for 26th with Arizona and Miami with a .230 batting average and collected 1237 hits, also 26th among all MLB teams. Where the Mariners excelled in relation to overall batting average was in home runs. They hit 197 compared to 200 for Toronto. The Yankees led MLB with 253 home runs while Atlanta led the National League with 243. Pitching is where the Mariners’ best chance lies. They finished eighth overall in baseball with a .359 ERA, which was fifth in the AL behind Houston’s 2.90, Yankees’3.30 Tampa Bay’s 3.41 and Cleveland’s 3.48. Toronto finished tied for 14th with a 3.87. Based on regular season games between the Mariners and Blue Jays would give Mariner fans hope. Toronto won a three-game series in Toronto early in the season 2-1, but the Mariners swept the Blue Jays at T-Mobile Park in a four-game series, winning 8-2, 5-2, 3-1 and 6-5. The Mariners also had a winning road record (44-37), so there is that. The best I could come up with is this series is a toss-up. The Mariners will be without its sparkplug, Sam Haggerty, who is on the 10-day injured list with a groin injury. But they have all the power guys ‑ Julio Rodriguez, Mitch Haniger, Cal Raleigh and Eugenio Suarez, plus the lumbering Carlos Santana who had 19 home runs and Ty France who may be the most natural hitter on the team. If the Mariners are clicking on all cylinders, and that is a big IF, they can advance to the second round against the Astros. Manager Scott Servais is confident his team is ready for the challenge. So we will see. I’m sure there will be some anxious moments. Good TV, but not good for the heart. The last postseason appearance for the Mariners was 2001 when they won a MLB tying record 116 games. That squad was loaded for bear, but got beat by the Yankees to end what should have been a visit to the World Series. This 2022 team is not as talented, but it has good chemistry and that is a good thing. We will soon see if they can hang together and overcome the odds (Toronto is favored). Tension is rising, that is for sure. Okay, that is enough for today. Stay safe.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.